Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard could be out for several weeks after injuring his right leg in Monday’s Nations League win over Austria, according to the Norwegian team’s doctor.
Odegaard left the field and was photographed on crutches as he boarded a plane bound for London, where he underwent further tests to determine the extent of the injury.
Arsenal face north London side Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday and will also be without suspended midfielder Declan Rice.
“This type of ankle injury usually takes at least three weeks. Everything else is just a bonus. And then it can take longer,” Norwegian newspaper VG quoted doctor Ola Sand as saying.
“Ankle injuries are very painful right away. With Martin it was very painful. I was very worried.
“What we have so far obtained from the MRI in London is that the ankle is probably not broken. If it breaks, we are talking about being out of work for six weeks.”
Odegaard has become a talismanic figure at Arsenal and has missed only a handful of Premier League games in the last three seasons under Mikel Arteta.
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The long absence will be a blow for Arteta, especially as new signing Mikel Merino is also out with a fractured shoulder.
“His response to recovery over the next few weeks is the most important thing,” Sand said. “He’ll start off carefully on the bike, carefully in terms of what he can tolerate in terms of pain. So you take it slowly.”
After visiting Tottenham, Arsenal will begin their Champions League campaign against Atalanta next Thursday.
